Question

What is the carbon content of wind electricity using Matt Ridley's numbers? Use Matt Ridley's assumptions that a 2MW wind turbine takes 150 tonnes of coal to produce its components and foundation. That 2MW wind turbine produces 0.005 TWH/yr (5000 MWH/year) and lasts 20 years?

Answer 1

As mentioned, 2 MW of wind turbine produces 0.005 TWH/yr

Also, this turbine lasts for 20 years.

There, energy produced by the turbine in 20 years = 20*0.005 = 0.1 TWH

It is also given that 2 MW wind turbine takes 150 tonnes of coal to produce its components and foundation.

Therefore, 0.1 TWH of energy is produced by 150 tonnes of coal.

Therefore, 10⁸ KWH of energy is produced by 150 kg of coal.

Therefore, 1 KWH of energy is produced by (150000/10⁸) kg

= 1.5 grams of coal.

Let's take the percentage of carbon in the coal to be 80%.

Therefore, 1 KWH of energy is produced by 1.5*0.8 grams = 1.2 grams of carbon.   ANSWER